Now Flooding; Haiti expecting more rain, more floods as Nat’l Emergency Operation Center activated

By Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#Haiti, June 5, 2023 – Haiti’s National Emergency Operation Center has been opened according to Dr. Ariel Henry, Prime Minister in addressing the people of his country; all due to heavy rain pouring down resulting in damage across the republic.

The rain which has been gushing over Haiti since June 1st, 2023, is expected to continue for the rest of the week, “three to five days,” according to Marcelin Esterlin, Director General of the Hydro-Meteorological Unit.

“This is not a situation that will improve in the coming hours because we have compact rain cells that have settled in the West and South-East departments, which explains why it’s raining all the time,” added Esterlin.

Additionally, authorities say the probability of rain was 65 percent for Monday and 85 percent for Tuesday.

The Government met and had talks on Saturday June 3rd, 2023, about the unfortunate position Haiti is in as rivers break their banks and floods continue to cover areas of the country alongside landslides, all causing significant damage.

Efforts are being made to help the situation as Rosemond Pradel, Public Works Minister, organized a task force and issued instructions to the Departmental Director to take the steps needed to intervene effectively in the “chefs-lieux” (chief towns) of departments and municipalities.

These actions taken by the Government will serve to be of great help as authorities report towns flooded in the North West, unfortunately leaving many homeless.

In fact, roads in Port-au-Prince, the capital, have become impassable.  Mudslides have also been reported in the capital as well as other regions.

Also, healthcare is negatively affected as hospitals and health centers in the Léogâne region have been flooded, and the situation has been worsened with canals that have not been cleaned which is known to make flooding more severe.

Haiti’s unfortunate reality comes as the Caribbean region enters the first leg of the El Niño Phase that brings severe weather patterns such as dry spells and increased rainfall with a threat of hurricanes.

Caption of Haitian PM press conference

Accompagné des ministres des #TPTC, de la Défense, de l’Environnement, je suis présentement au Centre d’opération d’urgence national (#COUN), dans le cadre des dispositions urgentes à prendre en vue de venir en aide aux populations sinistrées, victimes des intempéries qui s’abattent sur le pays.